Tim Martin is Breaking Defense's European Bureau Chief, leading regional coverage of the NATO nations and European industry. He joined Breaking Defense in 2022 after a three year spell at Shephard Media as Air Editor. Based in Belfast, Tim holds two Defence Media Awards to his name, and has bylines with a number of B2B and print media publications, including the Irish Times newspaper.
The US remains the world’s largest defense spender, outlaying $916 billion last year, a 2.3 percent annual increase, ahead of China in second place, which spent an estimated $296 billion, a 6 percent increase over the same period.
The fleet of light-twin rotorcraft will replace Airbus Puma HC2 types, which have been temporarily based in Brunei for British Army training and the island of Cyprus in support of Royal Air Force search and rescue missions.
“The purpose of our initiative is to find ammunition on the world markets, to negotiate the financing and to potentially negotiate deliveries to Ukraine,” said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
The Danish Ministry of Defence did not disclose when deliveries will take place but the jets are set to rebuild Argentina’s strike capabilities, almost a decade after retiring Dassault Mirage III fighter aircraft.
“The establishment of the … ammunition factory in Lithuania will reduce our dependence on long supply chains, which currently pose great challenges in meeting the needs of the armies throughout the European Union and the world,” said Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Lithuania’s Minister of National Defense.
Ukraine has consistently called for international supply partners to send it fighter jets in a bid to push back Russian defenses and prosecute targets more easily, but a first in-country delivery from Denmark is not expected to happen until this summer.
An agreement would represent a significant shift in the Serbian Air Force — a move to modern Western fighters as it divests of Soviet-era fighter jets, including MiG-21 and MiG-29 platforms.
The new defence policy paper does not offer a timeline for the country to meet the 2 percent GDP target but it argues a move to double military spending between 2016-2017 to 2026-2027 is “on track.”
The US has said previously that the UH-60 deal will “improve the Hellenic Army’s ability to deploy combat power to secure Greece’s borders, deter actions against its interests, and, when required, respond with credible force.”
With emphasis on frigates and subs, the plan “represents a historic boost in defence spending, and involves a significant strengthening of all branches of the Armed Forces,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
As for new nations potentially working on AUKUS Pillar II tech efforts, the State Department’s Kurt Campbell teased, “I think you’ll hear that we have something to say about that” next week.
Media reports also said this week NATO would discuss taking over a leadership role in providing weapons to Ukraine from the current US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
In the wake of the US funding roadblocks, some European officials have been increasingly vocal about the need to be less reliant on Washington, arguing that European security should be more robust.
Disclosure of the future force review comes amid intense political scrutiny over the credibility of UK warfighting capabilities and calls by lawmakers to increase defense spending.
DoD uses FAR Part 12 acquisitions to save hundreds of millions of dollars in “of a type” systems like civil landing systems with applicability to military aircraft.
DoD uses FAR Part 12 acquisitions to save hundreds of millions of dollars in “of a type” systems like civil landing systems with applicability to military aircraft.
